General GAA - AOB

HG I would argue that Ciaran Kilkenny was Dublins most influential Player this term, and maybe the fact that Keegan nullified him in the Final was one of the reasons that Dublin weren't so dominant.. anyway I'd be fairly sure he'll get an AS..
I'll leave my glowing admiration at that.

David Moran was another midfielder who had a decent Year imo.. and will also get a nomination.

Yeah Moran very good all year and he was brilliant in league final I thought.

It's funny as well with Dubs dominance at the moment - if we were to beat them, it would be the ultimate victory. Like can you imagine if some year we put in a performance like Mayo last Sunday, but actually tag on a couple of points and win... Would be the greatest Kildare win ever. We'd also probably have to cancel All Ireland assault as whole county would go on the beer for six months.

I suppose that'll be the aim why'll GAA tries to sort out current mess...

I must be the only one who doesn't give two f**ks about the All Stars anymore. Mean little to those that won when it mattered, consolation for those that came up short when they know it mattered. As for the one or two others thrown in, tokens that degrade the whole thing. Know of one journalist that was rejected by the All Star committee as they said he was too thorough, would arrive with too much information, thus would make the whole process take too long.

Tommy that's very ungrateful of you - every second post on this thread is "Keegan deserves All Star!"

Thank god Feely at least got nominated. Would have been carnage on here otherwise.

Delighted also for Daniel Flynn. Before the final he was the highest scoring player from play in the championship outside of Andy Moran despite playing fewer games than Mayo in particular and also Dublin. Not sure if anyone overtook him in the final. If he could add a bit more consistency* to his game he'd be almost unstoppable.



* hopefully this comment won't have me lambasted for not being a true Kildareman.

TommyKeegan wrote:

I must be the only one who doesn't give two f**ks about the All Stars anymore. Mean little to those that won when it mattered, consolation for those that came up short when they know it mattered. As for the one or two others thrown in, tokens that degrade the whole thing. Know of one journalist that was rejected by the All Star committee as they said he was too thorough, would arrive with too much information, thus would make the whole process take too long.

I don't think it would be the first time you'd be in a minority view TK to be fair. Don't you make a living out of being the contrarian? (Not a criticism to be clear as I enjoy much of your output and would agree with a lot of it).

I'm sure IF Kevin Feely got one he would treasure it (won't happen). It's not a perfect system but I don't see the harm in recognising the top players.

TommyKeegan wrote:

I must be the only one who doesn't give two f**ks about the All Stars anymore. Mean little to those that won when it mattered, consolation for those that came up short when they know it mattered. As for the one or two others thrown in, tokens that degrade the whole thing. Know of one journalist that was rejected by the All Star committee as they said he was too thorough, would arrive with too much information, thus would make the whole process take too long.

No, I'm with you completely Tommy. Long ago lost interest. Love the AFL system of continuous assessment, votes after each game - a bit more straightforward obviously as they all play same games and each other. But now, you just don't engage until the semi-finals. Good piss-up I'm told though.

HauntedGraffiti wrote:

Well, I'll say it again - if you think Feely's a choker, then you really must be disgusted by Cillian O'Connor.

I think it's an absolutely absurd claim personally, doesn't stack up one iota.

That's my contention too, especially of a guy who is on freetaking duties for the first time in his life for a matter of months and is playing his second year of football after four years off and doing that at inter-county level. Missing doesn't make you a choker. I would say everything he does shows he's brave, from the passes he attempts, just demanding the ball.

Anyway, there's too much of a stigma around that word, as if it's inhuman to get nervous. Padraig Harrington often talks about choking down the stretch - it's easier for him to do because he still got to a play-off in that British Open and won it. It's why I love watch golf majors. It's all the time. They're all as talented as one another. It's handling the heat that separates them. Anyway, I digress.

Agree completely on your statement. And while I wouldn't call Cillian O'Connor a choker either, I'd say all the top freetakers would have landed his frees in the last two years and that tension most likely had some input in that. As it did with Rock with his early ones.

SeamusMurphy wrote:

Just looking at the Sunday Game Team.. no Keegan or Kilkenny.. beggars belief.
The AI Final really seems to mean all for these selections.. I mean was McCarthy really in the running for poty  prior to the AI final  ?.

That's the point Seamus. That's what this is now.

I would say James McCarthy was behind Kevin Feely for an All Star until the final, not to mind in POTY reckoning. Kilkenny was prob joint favourite for POTY with Moran prior to final.

I love Kilkenny, my favourite Dub - his attitude again was typical. I'm not getting on the ball, Keegan is up my arse, so he just went running and running and made spaces elsewhere. Pure selfless. Unlike, say Connolly, who had a big impact when he came on, but that ego last year of going for a score off the sideline in the drawn game.

Rally for Feely in Athy on Friday night. Music from Picture This and video messages of support from Bono, Bob Geldof and Mary Robinson.

#JusticeForKev

HauntedGraffiti wrote:

Rally for Feely in Athy on Friday night. Music from Picture This and video messages of support from Bono, Bob Geldof and Mary Robinson.

#JusticeForKev

Very good..
Is there anything to be said for another Mass.

No nomination for David Moran I see.

Maybe with Pope's scheduled visit we can get him to do something in advance for Feely and Kildare GAA.

Harsh as well on Moran alright - definitely an argument for him ahead of Enda Smith, another in the long line of quality players absolutely demolished by Lee Keegan, who is honestly the best half-back I've ever seen.

It's funny - McCarthy a shoo-in even though he was literally hanging out of Feely in Leinster final, neither him or Fenton able to live with him. But he was generally excellent this year in fairness. If they feel under pressure to get in non-Mayo/Dublin lads, they may give it to Cavanagh ahead of Feely, which would be a travesty.

If I had to go for someone ahead of Feely I'd actually for Parsons, in which scenario we'd probably have a grand total of one from outside Mayo and Dublin - Paul Geaney. Goes to show how totally and utterly Mayo and Dublin have dominated past couple of years, everyone else miles behind.

But Feely and Flynn our first nominations since Geezer era, progress is definitely being made but we have to maintain it.

kildaregaa365 wrote:

TommyKeegan wrote:

I must be the only one who doesn't give two f**ks about the All Stars anymore. Mean little to those that won when it mattered, consolation for those that came up short when they know it mattered. As for the one or two others thrown in, tokens that degrade the whole thing. Know of one journalist that was rejected by the All Star committee as they said he was too thorough, would arrive with too much information, thus would make the whole process take too long.

I don't think it would be the first time you'd be in a minority view TK to be fair. Don't you make a living out of being the contrarian? (Not a criticism to be clear as I enjoy much of your output and would agree with a lot of it).

I'm sure IF Kevin Feely got one he would treasure it (won't happen). It's not a perfect system but I don't see the harm in recognising the top players.

Not criticism taken but I think society is in crisis when calling out rather than simply going along with vast swells of bullsh*t that grow year on year is considered contrarian.

Agreed TK.

I don't know where ya get the notion that feely was miles ahead of Mccarthy in that game he won the aerial battle but I think ya need to take the kildare goggles off a bit to claim he was hanging out of him. Mccarthy was very good for dublin that game his ability to work and tackle is second to none I remember him putting a big hit in on flynn to dispossess him then scored a goal the other end and let's remember dublin won by 9 with us scoring a consulation goal at the end. Not putting down feelys performance either he played very well with one good point from play and 4 frees just think Mccarthy is getting harsh treatment here on that performance

He destroyed Dublin midfield, in fairness. As for Kildare goggles, had my Dub-supporting friends telling me afterwards what a brilliant player he is. Again, Feely gets more stick in Kildare than anywhere else. For what, I don't know.

As for dismissing McCarthy, if you look at my selection a page or two ago, you'll see he's on it.

Surely if he destroyed Mccarthy then he wouldn't have scored a goal

Surely if he didn't he wouldn't have got an All Star nomination?

And since when was winning the aerial battle part of a midfielder's remit, eh?

This is the most surreal debate I've come across here in the decade (or more) of the forum! And that's saying a lot. Can we move up the club semi-finals to tomorrow night so we've something to debate

Zzzzz... Moorefield win again no doubt...

I've lost track of the debate here about Feely, not sure what lads are arguing for. The one thing I do know is Kevin Feely is a brilliant player, he was brilliant when I first saw him in that minor team and he has not disappointed since he came home. As Ogie points out the lad has only just got back into the flow of football. Did he even play U21 and was playing a completely different sport 18 months ago. Now he's matching and bettering some of the best in the Country. Imagine what he'll be like in another two years.

Delighted for Dan, could be a monster of a player if he can get consistency.

The All Stars lost a lot of luster years ago when players where shoe horned into positions they never played just to give them one. Players still appreciate them, but from the outside does anyone really lose sleep over them anymore.

Two great games hopefully on Saturday to look forward to and I presume league fixtures will soon be out so we can talk about our usual three games at home and Dublin in Croke Park.

Will say it again - if Feely doesn't get an All Star it's a scandal of phenomenal proportions... Watergate, Iran-Contra - that's the kind of level we're talking about here...

Comedy gold from Charlie Redmond... I know the Dubs are dominating atm, but you have to admit the sheer entertainment value their pundits and supporters provide is second to none...

https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2017/0921/906617-if-a-dub-did-what-keegan-did-thered-be-blue-murder/

HauntedGraffiti wrote:

Will say it again - if Feely doesn't get an All Star it's a scandal of phenomenal proportions... Watergate, Iran-Contra - that's the kind of level we're talking about here...

I would say your championing of Feely to get an All Star is the single most ridiculous argument I've ever seen on this forum. I'd guess you could count on one hand the number of All Stars given to players who didn't make it as far as the quarter finals. Also, if your barometer of giving All Stars is to perform very well against Dublin then you'd have to give Séan Murphy of Carlow one too.

You're deluded.